Stinging Insects
Carpenter Bees vs. Bumblebees: What's Drilling Holes in Your Deck?
Published 12/13/2025 · 4 min read
The big bee hovering by your deck is probably a carpenter bee — and yes, it's causing structural damage.
The visual difference
Carpenter bees have a shiny, hairless black abdomen. Bumblebees are fuzzy all over. If it's drilling a perfect 1/2-inch hole in your fascia, it's a carpenter bee.
Why the damage compounds
Each female drills a new gallery each spring, often extending an existing one. Woodpeckers then destroy the fascia trying to eat the larvae — the woodpecker damage is usually 10x worse than the bees'.
Treatment
Dust the galleries in spring before sealing. Sealing without treatment traps active bees, who chew a fresh exit. We treat then seal — in that order.